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10.05.2004 Education

Education Ministry urged to waive VSAT

10.05.2004 LISTEN
By GNA

Winneba (C/R), May 10, GNA- The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Education, Winneba (UEW), Professor Jophus Anamuah-Mensah on Saturday appealed to the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports to waive off Very Small Aperture Technology (VSAT) licensing fees for the Universities.

He also appealed to the Ministry to contact Internet Service Providers (ISP) in the country to give Universities an educational rate for internet services.

Prof Anamuah-Mensah said if this was done, it would help strengthen the provision, expansion and utilisation of Information Communication Technology (ICT) services in the Universities.

Prof. Anamuah-Mensah said this when he inaugurated a multi-million cedis ICT centre at the University at Winneba.

The Vice-Chancellor said that the VSAT licensing fees demanded by the National Communication Authority (NCA) and the internet access fees are very high, making access to educational information very expensive for the institutions.

Internet operators in Winneba charge between 5,000 cedis and 6,000 cedis per hour and most students spent more hours, to look for information.

He said that the UEW needs the support of government and NGOs to enable it translate its strategic ICT plan into reality.

Prof. Anamuah-Mensah noted that support for the UEW ICT plan would enable the university to train teachers to teach ICT in pre-university institutions in the country. 10 May 04

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